Drive controller

ABSTRACT

A drive controller has means for detecting that a ship body lands on the water, and a function of allowing a drive upon detection of the landing and of inhibiting the drive upon non-detection of the landing.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] This invention relates to a driver for a toy, and to a drive controller for driving a screw operable only in the water.

[0003] 2. Background Art

[0004] A mobile body is frequently subject to a model controlled by a radio controller. A model of ship often utilizes a screw as driver similarly to the true ship. In fact, the screw has been used by taking into account a simple structure of a driver unit thereof as compared to a water-jet-type ship or a hovercraft-type ship.

[0005] The end of the screw may often comprise three extremely sharp impeller blades which rotate in the water by the driver unit in order to generate a driving force, differently from automobiles. The sharp impeller blades of the screw for a toy ship have the following disadvantages. There is no problem as long as the screw rotates in the water. The rotation of the screw in air may cause any injury by making fingers into contact with the rotating screw, or any damage to both the rotating screw and an article by making the rotating screw into contact with the article. In accordance with “European Safe Regulation”, the toy ship with the screws rotating in air is not qualified.

[0006] Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a drive controller for controlling a screw operable only in the water.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

[0007] In order to solve the above issue, the drive controller in accordance with the present invention comprises: water-detecting terminals provided at a bottom of a ship body; a water-detecting circuit for detecting the presence and absence of a short circuit current formed by a contact of said water-detecting terminals to a water; a motor driving switch being electrically connected to said water-detecting circuit for selecting a connection and a disconnection thereto; a super-reproducing receiving unit for detecting a signal which has been received through a filter from an antenna; a control circuit connected to an output side of said super-reproducing receiving unit; a steering unit being connected through a steering drive-amplifier to one of output sides of said control circuit; a driving motor drive-amplifying unit being connected through said motor driving switch to another of said output sides of said control circuit, for amplifying a driving signal; and a motor driving unit connected to an output side of said driving motor drive-amplifying unit, wherein if said ship body lands on the water and the water is present between said terminals, then said motor driving switch is closed to cause said motor driving unit to operate.

[0008] A radio-controlled toy ship in accordance with the present invention has a water sensor for radio control, comprising: water-detecting terminals provided at a bottom of a ship body; a water-detecting circuit for detecting the presence and absence of a short circuit current formed by a contact of said water-detecting terminals to a water; a motor driving switch being electrically connected to said water-detecting circuit for selecting a connection and a disconnection thereto; a super-reproducing receiving unit for detecting a signal which has been received through a filter from an antenna; a control circuit connected to an output side of said super-reproducing receiving unit; a steering unit being connected through a steering drive-amplifier to one of output sides of said control circuit; a driving motor drive-amplifying unit being connected through said motor driving switch to another of said output sides of said control circuit, for amplifying a driving signal; and a motor driving unit connected to an output side of said driving motor drive-amplifying unit.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING:

[0009]FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of a drive controller in accordance with the present invention.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION:

[0010] Other details, advantages and features of the present invention will be apparent from the following embodiments described with reference to the accompanying drawing.

[0011] As shown in FIG. 1, the drive controller comprises water-detecting terminals 2 for contacting with an external water, a water-detecting circuit 4 for detecting a short circuit current caused by contacting with water, a motor driving switch 6 having a closed state and an opened state which are controlled by the water-detecting circuit 4, a control IC 8 for generating a steering signal and a driving signal based on a received information, a driving motor drive-amplifying circuit 16 for amplifying a driving signal, a driving motor unit 18 including a motor which rotates with an amplified current for causing a screw to rotate, a steering drive-amplifier 20 for amplifying a steering signal, a steering unit 22 for changing a direction of a steering plate based on the amplified steering signal, an antenna 14 for receiving an AM-wave, a filter unit 12 for removing a noise from the AM-wave received at the antenna 14, a super-reproducing receiving unit 10 for detecting a signal transmitted from the filter unit 12 and performing a low frequency amplification, and a battery 24 for supplying a power.

[0012] The antenna 14 is electrically connected to the filter unit 12. The filter unit 12 is electrically connected to the super-reproducing receiving unit 10. The super-reproducing receiving unit 10 is electrically connected to the control IC 8. The control IC 8 provides an electrical connection between the motor driving switch 6 and the steering drive-amplifier 20. The steering drive-amplifier 20 is electrically connected to the steering unit 22. The motor driving switch 6 is electrically connected to the driving motor drive-amplifying circuit 16 and the water-detecting circuit 4. The driving motor drive-amplifying circuit 16 is electrically connected to the driving motor unit 18. The water-detecting circuit 4 is electrically connected to the water-detecting terminals 2. Those elements are also connected to the battery 24.

[0013] The antenna 14 may have any shape, provided that the antenna 14 comprises a conductor capable of receiving an electric wave. It is preferable that the antenna 14 comprises a wire.

[0014] The filter 12 may comprise any active filter or any passive filter, provided that the filter 12 comprise an electric filter which passes, in a frequency band, an electromagnetic wave to be received. In this embodiment, the filter 12 comprises a passive filter which passes the wave at 27 MHz.

[0015] The super-reproducing receiving unit 10 has functions of detecting the electromagnetic wave which has passed through the filter and generating a tone signal to be transmitted to the control IC 8.

[0016] The control IC 8 has a function of generating a steering signal and a driving signal from signal patterns predetermined based on the generated tone signal, and another function of transmitting the steering signal and the driving signal to the steering drive-amplifier 20 and the motor driving switch 6, respectively.

[0017] Upon receipt of the steering signal, the steering drive-amplifier 20 has functions of current amplification to the necessary current for driving a servo motor integrated in the steering unit 22, and supplying the amplified current to the steering unit 22.

[0018] The steering unit 22 is driven by the amplified current and has a function of changing a direction of a rudder to right or left.

[0019] The motor driving switch 6 has functions of receiving the driving signal generated by the control IC 8 and switching transmission or non-transmission of the driving signal to the driving motor drive-amplifying circuit 16. The water-detecting circuit 4 with a water sensor detects the presence of water and generates a water detected signal. Only if the motor driving switch 6 receives the water detected signal, then the motor driving switch 6 transmits the driving signal to the driving motor drive-amplifying circuit 16, so as to securely prevent that the screw is rotated by the driving motor unit 18 in the absence of water. Based on the water detecting signal from the water-detecting circuit 4, the motor driving switch 6 turns ON in the presence of water and also turns OFF in the absence of water.

[0020] The water-detecting circuit 4 has functions of always detecting a voltage between two water-detecting terminals 2 and detecting the water based on a drop in the voltage between the two terminals beyond a predetermined value, by taking into account that a resistance between the two terminals is generated in the presence of water.

[0021] The water-detecting terminals 2 comprise two conductors but may be positioned at any positions of a bottom of the ship body. If the motor comprises an outboard equipment positioned outside the ship, then the water-detecting terminals 2 may be positioned at the bottom of the outboard equipment.

[0022] The driving motor drive-amplifying circuit 16 has functions of amplifying the driving signal transmitted through the motor driving switch 6 and generating a driving current for driving the driving motor unit 18. The driving motor drive-amplifying circuit 16 is connected to the motor driving switch 6. If the motor driving switch 6 is OFF-state, then the driving motor drive-amplifying circuit 16 is placed in an non-operable state, wherein the water sensor does not detect the water.

[0023] The driving motor unit 18 is driven by a driving current supplied from the driving motor drive-amplifying circuit 16 and has a function of rotating the screw for driving the toy ship, on which the present system is provided. If the water sensor does not detect the water, then the motor driving switch 6 is placed in an OFF-state, whereby the driving motor unit 18 and the screw do not rotate.

[0024] The present configuration causes the screw to show no rotation unless the water sensor detects the water. This prevents the problems with any rotation of the screw even if the toy ship does not land on the water, and with any accidental injury and screw-broken.

[0025] The toy ship of the invention of the present application needs a transmitter for radio-control. The transmitter has a power switch, a driving knob, and a steering knob. Placing the power switch into ON-state enables a transmission of radio wave. Changing the driving knob results in that a signal for changing the rotation speed of the driving motor unit 18 is transmitted to the drive controller integrated on the toy ship. Changing the steering knob results in that the steering unit 22 controls the rudder of the toy ship for changing a traveling direction thereof.

[0026] Upon change of the steering knob, an AM wave modulated with the changed signal is transmitted to the drive controller. The transmitted signal is then received by the antenna 14 and then detected by the super-reproducing receiving unit 10, whereby the tone signal is transmitted to the control IC 8. The control IC 8 generates a steering signal based on the tone signal and transmits the steering signal to the steering drive-amplifier 20. The steering drive-amplifier 20 amplifies the steering signal and transmits the amplified steering signal to the steering unit 22.

[0027] Upon change of the driving knob, the AM wave modulated with the changed signal is transmitted to the drive controller. The transmitted signal is then received by the antenna 14 and then detected by the super-reproducing receiving unit 10, whereby the tone signal is transmitted to the control IC 8. The control IC 8 generates a driving signal based on the tone signal and transmits the generated driving signal to the motor driving switch 6.

[0028] At this time, if the water sensor is in ON-state, then the driving signal is transmitted to the driving motor drive-amplifying circuit 16, whereby the driving motor unit 18 operates to rotate the screw.

[0029] If the ship body is departed from the water, then the water sensor is placed into OFF-state, and the motor driving switch 6 is placed into OFF-state, whereby the driving signal is not transmitted to the driving motor drive-amplifying circuit 16, resulting in that the driving motor unit 18 does not operate and also the screw is not rotated.

[0030] The use of the water sensor realizes a safety lock function for preventing any injury and any braking upon rotation of the screw in nonuse state.

[0031] Whereas the basic configuration and typical embodiment of the present invention have been described, it will be understood that a variety of design modifications within the scope and the object of the present invention are conceivable to one skilled in the art. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A drive controller comprising: water-detecting terminals provided at a bottom of a ship body; a water-detecting circuit for detecting the presence and absence of a short circuit current formed by a contact of said water-detecting terminals to a water; a motor driving switch being electrically connected to said water-detecting circuit for selecting a connection and a disconnection thereto; a super-reproducing receiving unit for detecting a signal which has been received through a filter from an antenna; a control circuit connected to an output side of said super-reproducing receiving unit; a steering unit being connected through a steering drive-amplifier to one of output sides of said control circuit; a driving motor drive-amplifying unit being connected through said motor driving switch to another of said output sides of said control circuit, for amplifying a driving signal; and a motor driving unit connected to an output side of said driving motor drive-amplifying unit, wherein if said ship body lands on the water and the water is present between said terminals, then said motor driving switch is closed to cause said motor driving unit to operate.
 2. A radio-controlled toy ship having water sensor for radio control, comprising: water-detecting terminals provided at a bottom of a ship body; a water-detecting circuit for detecting the presence and absence of a short circuit current formed by a contact of said water-detecting terminals to a water; a motor driving switch being electrically connected to said water-detecting circuit for selecting a connection and a disconnection thereto; a super-reproducing receiving unit for detecting a signal which has been received through a filter from an antenna; a control circuit connected to an output side of said super-reproducing receiving unit; a steering unit being connected through a steering drive-amplifier to one of output sides of said control circuit; a driving motor drive-amplifying unit being connected through said motor driving switch to another of said output sides of said control circuit, for amplifying a driving signal; and a motor driving unit connected to an output side of said driving motor drive-amplifying unit. 